Lifeline Connections is taking its therapy practices to the arena. The Vancouver organization — which provides mental health and addiction services — added animal-assisted therapy to its stable of offerings. Animal-assisted therapy is growing as mental health providers incorporate animals — including horses, rabbits and dogs — into their practices.
Animals offer veterans and others a calming presence to help them heal and learn healthy coping skills. “The love that comes from these animals nurturing people can dramatically improve one’s overall mood, self-worth and well-being — just from being in a shared space,” said Kara Seibert, Lifeline Connections’ clinical and intern supervisor. “Then you add a counselor to it to kind of help them sort through some of those internal structures, and it can be a very powerful mix.
” Studies suggest animals help decrease anxiety levels, provide comfort, reduce loneliness and act as motivation for clients to continue seeking therapy services. Lifeline Connections adopted its horse-assisted therapy program from Windhaven Therapeutic Riding, a nonprofit that ceased operations after the founders announced plans to retire. Windhaven provided equine-assisted services to veterans for years.
Seibert started volunteering with the nonprofit in 2019. In 2021, when the founders announced plans to retire, they wanted the therapy services to continue. Lifeline Connections took over and renamed the services Windhaven Veterans Program.